Sexually Trasnmitted Diseases

Sexually trasnmitted diseases or STD's are not talked about as often as they need to be. One of the most common STD's is HPV. Approximately 20 million people are currently infected with HPV. At least 50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. By age 50, at least 80 percent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection. About 6.2 million Americans get a new genital HPV infection each year. These statistics are available from the Center for Disease Control. The types of HPV that infect the genital area are spread primarily through genital contact. Most HPV infections have no signs or symptoms; therefore, most infected persons are unaware they are infected, yet they can transmit the virus to a sex partner. HPV has been known to cause cervical cancer in women. There is no cure for HPV infection. The surest way to eliminate risk for genital HPV infection is to refrain from any genital contact with another individual. At the moment, there is no test approved to detect HPV in men. Most men who get genital HPV do not have any symptoms. However, some types of HPV can cause genital warts.

Condoms have been shown to be ineffective against the spread of HPV.

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis, which can damage a woman's reproductive organs. Even though symptoms of chlamydia are usually mild or absent, serious complications that cause irreversible damage, including infertility, can occur "silently" before a woman ever recognizes a problem. Chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Under-reporting is substantial because most people with chlamydia are not aware of their infections and do not seek testing. Also, testing is not often done if patients are treated for their symptoms. An estimated 2.8 million Americans are infected with chlamydia each year. Women are frequently re-infected if their sex partners are not treated. The surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases is to abstain from sexual contact. Chlamydia can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics. If untreated, chlamydial infections can progress to serious reproductive and other health problems with both short-term and long-term consequences. Like the disease itself, the damage that chlamydia causes is often "silent."

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Gonorrhea is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a bacterium that can grow and multiply easily in the warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract, including the cervix (opening to the womb), uterus (womb), and fallopian tubes (egg canals) in women, and in the urethra (urine canal) in women and men. Gonorrhea is a very common infectious disease. CDC estimates that more than 700,000 persons in the U.S. get new gonorrheal infections each year. Only about half of these infections are reported to CDC. Gonorrhea is spread through contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus. Ejaculation does not have to occur for gonorrhea to be transmitted or acquired. Gonorrhea can also be spread from mother to baby during delivery. Although many men with gonorrhea may have no symptoms at all, some men have some signs or symptoms that appear two to five days after infection; symptoms can take as long as 30 days to appear. Symptoms and signs include a burning sensation when urinating, or a white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis. In women, the symptoms of gonorrhea are often mild, but most women who are infected have no symptoms. Several antibiotics can successfully cure gonorrhea in adolescents and adults. However, drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea are increasing in many areas of the world, including the United States, and successful treatment of gonorrhea is becoming more difficult. Again the surest way to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases is to abstain from sexual intercourse.

These statistics, treatments and recomendations are from the CDC site. Often STD's show no symptoms, are left untreated and have severe long term affects. The only way to prevent an STD infection is to abstain from sexual intercourse. These are just 3 examples of the 20 or more STD's that are becoming more and more common among our children. When our children become sexually active they not only open themselves to STD's but they also increase the likelihood that they will develop psychological disorders such as depression or anxiety. It is imperitive that parents know the facts and talk to their children early and often about sex and sexuality. It could mean saving the life of our greatest treasures, our children.